The present invention relates to amusement devices of the so-called "claw machine" or crane type in which objects within a closed housing can be retrieved by players by means of a pronged claw or other pick up device attached to a transport mechanism which moves the claw fack and forth and up and down over the objects. the claw is closed after lowering it to the level of the objects in an attempt to grasp and retrieve one of the objects, and then returned to a home position in which any retrieved object can be delivered to the player.
Claw machine amusement devices have up to now involved only a relatively low degree of skill on the part of the player, since the player had only limited control over the positioning of the claw. The element of chance involved in retrieving an object, or "winning a prize" would discourage players who felt that they did not have a fair change to win, and also caused many such devices to be illegal in states prohibiting gambling, since any game involving a payoff must involve a relatively high degree of skill on the part of the player to be legal in many states. Generally, in such machines a pronged claw or shovel is attached to an overhead boom or crane arm by a nylon or metal chain. On the outside of the machine is a lever, wheel, or other control mechanism by which the player may direct the movement of the boom and claw for a predetermined allowed time interval. During this time the claw swings freely on its chain. The player controls both the direction in which the boom travels and the distance the claw will fall by lowering the boom.
In some such machines the control wheel or lever is operable only prior to movement of the boom, and thus msut be preset by the player, after which he exercises no further control. In other machines a player may choose either the preset method or a control method in which the control wheel may be used to alter the direction and distance the claw travels while it is in motion. In either case, once the alloted time has expired the claw will drop, the prongs of the claw will close, and the boom then withdraws to its starting position.
Thus the player may be able to exercise some degree of skill in controlling the general location of the claw on lowering to the level of the objects, but has no control over the actual closing of the claw. The claw may swing as it goes down so that it is not optimally positioned when it reaches the lowermost position. Even if it is optimally positioned, it may not grasp an article sought when it closes, or a gasped article may slip out of the claw due to the swinging of the claw as the boom returns it to its starting position.
Another problem with the known type of claw machines is that the transport mechanism is primarily switch operated, and any switch failure could cause a drive motor to idle until it burns out. The abrupt cut-off on turn off of a switch causes further swinging of the claw which reduces the chances of correct positioning of the claw and increases the risk that a picked up prize may be dropped, to the annoyance of a player who will be unlikely to risk a repeat of the experience. In some cases the transport mechanism is so bulky that it is unable to cover the entire floor area over which prizes are distributed, contributing to the risk of failure.